CLINTON, S.C. ? Presbyterian College Director of Athletics Dr. William B. Carlton announced the hiring of Ronny Fisher as the new Head Women's Basketball Coach at PC on Sunday. Fisher is the sixth head coach in PC's women's basketball history.
He replaces Jessica Vanco, who resigned at the conclusion of the 2007-08 season.
“I am pleased to announce that we have selected Coach Ronny Fisher as our next Women's Basketball Head Coach,” remarked Carlton. “Coach Fisher brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this position. He is a dependable and mature leader who will help build a sound program capable of competing at the highest level. He has a proven ability to coach and mentor student-athletes. He has extensive knowledge of the game and is an outstanding teacher of the game. He is intimately familiar with the strong academic and athletic environment on PC's campus and will be able to recruit the most outstanding student-athletes from the region and across the country.
“Coach Fisher has strong ties to the Clinton community and campus and will be able to go to work immediately to build our women's team into the one of the top programs in the conference and region. I am convinced that Coach Fisher is the exactly the right person to fill this significant position on our staff.”
Fisher takes over the women's basketball program after 11 seasons as an Assistant Coach with the PC men's basketball program. He served last season as an Associate Head Coach after earning a promotion during the summer of 2007 from men's basketball Head Coach Gregg Nibert. The 2007-08 season was Fisher's eighth consecutive year with the program.
“I am thrilled to be selected as the next Women's Basketball Coach at Presbyterian College and I appreciate the confidence that Dr. Griffith, Dr. Carlton and the Women's Basketball committee have shown in me,” noted Fisher. “I have been blessed to serve for 11 years as an assistant coach in the men's program, and I am indebted to Coach Gregg Nibert for allowing me that opportunity. I look forward to building a program with terrific young ladies that the PC community will be proud of, both on and off the basketball court.”
Fisher was a part of 199 wins during his time with the men's basketball program at PC, including 142 since his return eight years ago. The Blue Hose men had an overall record of 199-136 with Fisher on staff.
This past season in PC's first year at the NCAA Division I level, Fisher helped lead PC to its first NCAA Division I victory with a 62-60 win over Radford on Dec. 1, 2007.
The 2007-08 Blue Hose men overall finished a perfect 5-0 at home. PC's men's basketball program enters next season with a 12-game home winning streak, which is the 14th-longest home winning streak in all of NCAA Division I. The Blue Hose men are 43-3 at the Templeton Center over the course of the last three seasons.
The Blue Hose were in the NCAA Division II Tournament two times (2003 and 2006) with Fisher on staff. Fisher was also on the men's basketball staff in the 1992-93 season when the Blue Hose claimed the South Atlantic Conference championship and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament.
Fisher returned to PC in the 2000-01 season after spending two seasons as an Assistant Basketball Coach at North Greenville University in Tigerville, S.C.
Fisher originally spent his first three years out of college with the Blue Hose men's basketball program. He then moved on to Conway, S.C. where he was named Head Basketball Coach at Conway High School.
Fisher led the Tigers from 1993-97. His 1993-94 team earned a spot in the quarterfinals of the South Carolina state playoffs.
A native of Asheville, N.C., Fisher earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Furman in Physical Education in 1990. Fisher served as a student assistant coach under former Paladin and PC head coach Butch Estes while earning his undergraduate degree at Furman.
Fisher and the Blue Hose women open their 2008-09 season at 7 p.m. on Nov. 14 against USC Upstate at the Templeton Center in Clinton, S.C.
